Pitou had chosen the first search direction based on the path Kite and the others had taken to reach the nest.
Unfortunately for Pokkle and the others, Pitou had chosen correctly.
When the irregular red Aura swept over the decaying leaves above the mud pit, Pokkle, Ponzu, and Urtaido, who should have been quietly hiding beneath, suddenly trembled like frightened animals.
The malevolence of Pitou's Aura was so overwhelming that even Kite, a seasoned veteran, had broken into a cold sweat upon first encountering it, calling her a monster.
Her strength and terror needed no further explanation.
So when Pokkle, Ponzu, and Urtaido sensed this distorted red Aura, they were so frightened that they opened their Aura Nodes instinctively.
As they released their Aura, they scrambled out of the mud pit in a panic, ensuring they had the mobility to deal with the unknown situation.
In reality, Pitou's En had only brushed past the decaying leaves and branches and didn't make direct contact with Pokkle and the others.
However...
Pokkle and the others, who were in Zetsu, had no resistance to the erosion of Nen.
So much so that when Pitou's malevolent Aura brushed past their hair, the overwhelming fear it induced forced them to react.
Covered in mud, they quickly climbed onto a patch of sparse grass not far away.
"T-That's... En?!"
Pokkle wiped the mud from around his eyes, and looked at the red Aura that filled the surroundings with fear on his face.
At this moment, he should perhaps be thankful that this red Aura did not touch them while they were in Zetsu.
Otherwise, given the malevolence radiating from the Aura, they might have been scared out of their minds or even killed instantly upon contact.
"Run!"
Urtaido's voice was hoarse as he shouted, not even bothering to figure out the source of this En.
The overwhelming fear left only one thought in his mind.
Run-
Get as far away from the direction the aura was coming from as possible.
As Urtaido started running first, Pokkle and Ponzu reacted immediately and also started running as fast as they could.
But just as they had run a few meters, the red, malevolent Aura surrounding them suddenly vanished.
Pokkle, Urutado, and Ponzu didn't understand what had happened at first.
However, the next moment, they realized why the En had disappeared.
From deep within the forest, a dense, malevolent Aura surged out, instantly enveloping them.
They turned to look, and their hearts were filled with shock and terror.
"How... how can there be such an Aura..."
Pokkle's face turned pale.
It was precisely because he had learned Nen that he could more clearly understand the concept of this disparity.
The Aura before him far exceeded his imagination and understanding in terms of intensity.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that there could be such an outrageous and exaggerated Aura in the world.
"Monster…"
In an extremely short amount of time, Pokkle's face was drenched in sweat.
Then, he didn't dare to think any more, and just gritted his teeth and ran.
The same is true for Urtaido and Ponzu.
The Aura surging from behind defied all logic, shattering their understanding of what was possible.
'Run, run quickly!'
At this moment, the only thought in Pokkle, Urtaido, and Ponzu's minds was to run as fast as they could.
But before they could run even a few hundred meters, Pitou appeared beside them like a ghost.
Pokkle, who was at the back, couldn't even perceive Pitou's speed.
But when the Aura became so close that it felt like it was right on top of him, his body reacted faster than his mind.
A sudden chill ran through his entire body in an instant.
"!!!"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and Pokkle's eyes widened.
Pitou lightly chopped the back of Pokkle's neck with her hand.
Pokkle, who was caught off guard, immediately collapsed heavily to the ground, with his eyes rolled back.
The impact created a shallow crater in the ground.
"Ara?"
Pitou looked at Pokkle, who had created a shallow crater and cracks in the ground, with some surprise.
"I thought I was being careful, but did I still use too much force?"
Pitou stopped moving and placed a finger on her chin.
"Good thing he's still breathing."
Pitou carefully checked Pokkle's condition. After confirming that he was still alive, she felt slightly relieved.
But even if she had accidentally killed him, it wouldn't have mattered.
Because there were still two other special humans here.
Just as Pitou turned her attention to Pokkle, Urtaido, who had been running at full speed, suddenly braked decisively and summoned a mass of Aura.
[The Beauty of Life Lies in Stillness]
The Aura swirling around Urtaido's palm quickly transformed into an old-fashioned camera.
This is Urtaido's Conjuration-Type Ability.
Click!
Urtaido quickly raised the camera, aimed the lens at Pitou, and pressed the shutter.
The first stage, the 'Back Photo', was captured.
Ponzu glanced back at Urtaido, who was using his Nen Ability, and at Pokkle, who was severely injured and unconscious.
'This monster is too fast. If we want to escape her, I have to fully cooperate with Urtaido...!'
Ponzu made a quick decision to stop, then directed a portion of her bees to fly toward Pitou.
This monster was too terrifying.
So Ponzu couldn't bring herself to send out all her bees, keeping some in reserve for self-defense.
Pitou slowly turned around and looked directly at the camera in Urtaido's hand.
"Meow? Is that thing your ability?"
"Click!"
What responded to Pitou was the sound of Urtaido pressing the shutter again.
The second stage, the 'Front Photo', was captured.
Urtaido's forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he tightly gripped the camera, shouting in his mind, 'There's no way I can get five photos... but even three will do!'
With that thought, Urtaido dodged to the side and raised the camera again.
What surprised him was that the monster didn't take any defensive actions. She just stood there with a curious look on her face.
"Click!"
Urtaido pressed the shutter.
The third stage, the 'Side Photo', was captured.
'Very good…'
In the midst of extreme fear, Urtaido felt a surge of elation.
[Freeze Frame]
After capturing three photos of Pitou's body, Urtaido immediately activated his ability.
Instantly, the antique camera transformed into Aura and reappeared on Pitou's body.
"Huh?"
Pitou suddenly found herself unable to move, and her body turned black and white.
"The ability to bind the body? How interesting."
Pitou, however, remained calm and looked at Urtaido.
Ssshh-
A malevolent Aura appeared behind Pitou, transforming into a small clown doll.
The doll's hands dangled thin strings, which were tied around Pitou's body.
"I can't move, but my doll can."
Pitou's lips curled into a slight smile.
In the very next second after being immobilized by the ability, Pitou had already figured out the essence of Urtaido's ability and found a countermeasure.
Aside from her extraordinary learning ability, this was undoubtedly another terrifying trait!
For Urtaido and Ponzu at this moment, the situation was nothing short of a dead end!